1. Technical Field
The field of the present invention relates to body jewelry and methods for making the same. More particularly, this invention relates to body jewelry which may be extended through a passageway that has been pierced in a body.
2. Background Art
For centuries, adorning the human body with jewelry has been an important aspect of celebration and self-expression. In one aspect of displaying body jewelry a piercing instrument is used to create a passageway in a body part. A post is extended through the passageway and caps positioned on the ends of the post, with the caps acting to retain the post within the passageway of the body part. For example, a person may pierce a passageway through one or both earlobes. An appropriately ornamented earring is selected with a post extending from the earring. The length of the post is selected to extend through the passageway sufficiently so that a backing clip is positionable over the post. The backing clip typically slides over the post and frictionally couples to the post, thereby retaining the post in the passageway and positioning the earring for display.
However, body jewelry may be positioned on other body parts. For example, eyebrows, lips, nose bridges, tongue, other body parts may be pierced and various ornamental body jewelry positioned in the pierced passageway.
It is common for the body jewelry to be retained in the passageway by a larger cap that is frictionally retained to the post. For example, U.S. Pat. No. D394,412 shows a body jewelry having a post that may extend through a passageway. An ornamental ball acts as a cap to retain the post in the passageway. The cap appears to be held in place by compression forces applied by the post. Thus, the cap is frictionally coupled to the post.
In the body piercing art it is considered particularly exotic to pierce a passageway in the tongue and display body jewelry extending through the passageway. A popular body jewelry for display on a pierced tongue includes a post with enlarged end caps. The post is sized to extend through the passageway with the caps attaching threadably to each end of the post. This post with two caps is conveniently identified as a "bar bell stud."
In one type of prior known bar bell stud device, caps having an enlarged plastic part are threadably attached to at least one end of the post. The plastic part may be composed of LUCITE material to provide a distinctive appearance for the portion of the device disposed conspicuously above the tongue. A threaded portion extends from the plastic part for threading to a post.
To manufacture these known caps, a portion of a threaded rod is embedded in the plastic cap with a portion of the thread rod extending therefrom. Thus, the wearer may threadably attach the cap to the post. The attachment is tenuous, however, and the cap can become dislodged inadertantly from the post. In this regard, the threaded rod can back out of the internal threads formed in the plastic cap. Such an unreliable attachment subjects the wearer to an unreasonable risk of injury.
Body jewelry positioned on the tongue is subjected to the same environmental condition as the wearer's mouth. Therefore, the jewelry will be subjected to the searing hots of hot food such as coffee and soups and the freezing colds of frozen foods such as shakes and ice cream. Such temperature extremes cause thermal expansion and contraction of the body jewelry device, thereby loosening the threaded rod from the plastic part. Further, the cap is subjected to the rotational forces necessary to tighten or remove the cap from the post. Thereby, due to thermal expansion and external forces the threaded rod may become loosened from the plastic portion of the cap.
When the threaded rod loosens and the plastic part of the cap works free, the plastic part of the cap will be released into the wearer's mouth cavity where it may damage teeth or be swallowed or aspirated. Further, the post and the other cap still may slip from the passageway in the tongue and likewise cause dental or gastronomic problems. Additionally, once the post is removed from the passageway, the tongue immediately begins healing the passageway and within a short period will prevent any post from being inserted through the passageway. Later, if another body jewelry is to be inserted into the same passageway, the person may be subjected to the discomfort and risk of an additional tongue piercing session
Further, known prior art plastic caps for body piercing jewelry have been made of LUCITE material or other plastics that may leach bio-toxins. Such bio-toxins are especially dangerous when the body jewelry device and plastic cap portion are placed in the mouth. Thereby, the bio-toxins are introduced immediately into the body of the wearer and may produce undesirable and even dangerous results. Thus, it would be highly advantageous to have a plastic cap for a body piercing jewelry that did not leach bio-toxins.
Further, there are some situations where the wearer of body piercing jewelry does not wish to emphasize the presence of the body piercing jewelry. For example, a person with a pierced tongue may desire to minimize the presence of a bar bell tongue stud while in business situations. Known prior caps for bar bell studs are conspicuous. Therefore, it would be highly advantageous to have a bar bell stud which could be worn in the mouth inconspicuously.
Further, known bar bell studs having plastic cap parts have a rather unprofessional and aesthetically displeasing appearance. As the plastic part of the cap is generally translucent, the threaded rod may be readily seen. Indeed, seeing the threads extend into the translucent plastic portion may actually appear to a wearer that the unit could become inadvertently disassembled.
The aesthetics of known plastic parts for caps is also negatively affected by trapped air bubbles during the manufacturing process. For example, as the threaded rod is inserted into the plastic material in the mold, air is trapped in the plastic material. After the plastic cures, the unsightly air bubbles are plainly visible due to the translucent nature of the plastic. Such air bubbles cause the plastic parts to have a displeasing, low quality appearance.
It would be highly desirable to have an aesthetically pleasing, air bubble free, appearance to the translucent plastic cap parts used for body piercing jewelry.
Therefore, there exists a need for a cap for use on body piercing jewelry where the threaded portion does not tend to become disassembled from the plastic part of the cap, allows for greater visual versatility, does not leach bio-toxins, and has a more aesthetically pleasing appearance. Such a cap and bar bell stud should be relatively inexpensive to manufacture.